Death and Taxes
by Lunar Ember
Summary: An embezzlement scam puts Relena in danger and brings Heero back into her life. However, she soon realizes that terrorism and politics are two sides of the same coin, and that love may need to come at the end of her priority list. (1xR)
1. Chapter 1: Shots Fired

**Author's Note:**

I don't know what took me so long to write a Gundam Wing fic, but it's probably because it's a series that has intimidated me for so long, in addition to the fact that there are so many great fics out there (especially by my inspirations Zapenstap, Crystal Delphina, Cypraeidae, Petalled, and Cupid's a Death God) that have managed to do it justice.

So now, I'm testing the waters and seeing how this will go. I have an idea in my head which is based on true events, and I hope that I somehow manage to do this right.

I do hope you leave reviews when you're done reading this chapter, so I can learn from all your comments and suggestions.

Thanks, and enjoy. :)

**Disclaimer:**  
Gundam Wing AC is owned by Katsuyuki Sumizawa, Sunrise, and other related parties.

* * *

Lunar Ember Presents

A Gundam Wing AC Fan Fiction

**Death and Taxes**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Shots Fired**

* * *

She woke up with a gasp. For a moment she thought she could smell gunpowder and sweat and she almost choked on it.

"Alex!"

"Miss Relena, calm down!"

Her eyes flew open. She squinted and blinked, and slowly, the face of a young nurse standing over her came into view. Rearing in her confusion, she stared at her before slowly looking around to see where she was.

She was in a private hospital room. The blinds were shut, and in a corner sat two Preventer agents, one of whom stood up to leave the room, probably to report that she had awoken.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just more than an hour," the nurse replied. "You had a mild head injury, but the bullet just grazed you."

Relena suddenly felt conscious of her wounds upon their mention, and a sharp pain shot up her left arm as she felt for the bandages. _They probably had to stitch me up_, she thought. Another patch was placed right above her eyebrows, and although the gash it covered didn't throb as much, she knew that it would be bothersome once the anesthesia wore off.

A crisp knock almost made her jump.

"Come in."

The door opened to reveal Lady Une. She gave her an appraising look before commanding the remaining agent and the nurse to leave the room.

Once they were alone, the Preventers Director genuinely smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, Relena."

"Yes, I'm fine, but I'm worried about Agent Alex. He's the one who shielded me from the bullets." Her voice trembled against her will, and she cleared her throat to hide her rising fear. "How is he?"

The sudden darkening of Une's face made her feel cold all over.

"He's alive," she replied, but before Relena could heave a sigh of relief, the older woman added. "Barely."

"What do you mean?"

"He took three bullets for you. One shattered his right knee, and at his age, we're not sure if we can repair the damage enough to at least get him to stand up. The fall down the National Library's steps didn't help either. His brain injury was much worse than yours, and he's been put in induced coma."

Relena processed the information in silence. Agent Alex Ahlström was a veteran of the Eve Wars, a man in his late forties who was married to his job. He hadn't been assigned as her Head of Security and bodyguard long – only since this entire embezzlement hoolaboo started – but he had been kind to her and acted much like a protective father, telling her when her skirt was too short and reminding her to eat right during her long nights in the office. She had missed such affections and quickly warmed up to him, and now that his life was hanging by a thread, she felt both guilt and anger.

"Don't worry. We'll find out who's behind this," Une said, as if reading her thoughts.

"I know." The whirlpool of emotions emptied into a void, and now a strange calm fell upon her. "They probably think that I'm starting to know too much. If we find who's been embezzling the funds that were supposedly for the development of agriculture on L2, we'll catch who's been trying to kill me." She sat up, her mind in full gear. "I need to see Alex before heading out."

"No."

"What?"

"You can visit him, but you're not heading out just yet. The doctors say that you should stay the night. You had a concussion, and mild as it may be, they need to monitor you."

Relena glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes before ten in the evening. "Fine then. Tomorrow." At least she'll have more time to spend with Alex. "Sally can monitor me if she wants, but I'll need to make a statement to the press in person. I can't do it remotely, or our enemies will think that they've managed to frighten me, and I just like talking where it's safe."

"I knew you'd say that. We've already made security arrangements. A helicopter will be picking you up and bringing you directly to the Complex. You can meet the press there." Une gave her a small apologetic smile. "Unfortunately, you can't go home just yet. You'll need to stay in the safe house for the time being, where we can keep you properly guarded."

It wouldn't be her first time in the Preventer safe house. In truth it was a nice place, although the thick walls and the minimal windows made her feel suffocated. She wasn't one to complain, though. After all, she was the Foreign Minister whose life was once again in danger.

"Lastly –" the Preventers Director paused, as if considering what to say next. "Lastly, with Agent Ahlström out of commission, we've assigned a new head for your security team."

Although she hated the idea of having somebody else get in the line of fire for her, she knew it was necessary. Besides, if she were to get to the bottom of this scandal, she needed protection.

"Who'll be assigned to me?"

Right on cue, a knock came from the door. Une nodded curtly. "Enter."

Relena thought that her concussion was making her see things. It's been three years after all; three long years and lonely years that she had not seen his shadow. But the unruly hair that swayed to the burst of air conditioning as he came in was real. The Prussian blue eyes that bore into hers were real.

"Heero."

He stared at her wordlessly, and for all her oratory skills, she couldn't for the life of her say anything else. She hadn't even been considering seeing him, much less having him duty-bound to always stay by her side.

"Agent Yuy has been briefed of the situation, but I assume that you have more to discuss," Une said after awkwardly clearing her throat. "I'll leave the both of you for now."

She barely acknowledged her when she left. Neither did Heero – he had never been one to salute authority, nor was he someone who preferred working with a group, thus it came as a surprise that he arrived in full Preventer uniform.

"It suits you," she said, her formal-sounding compliment belying her stirred-up emotions. "Are you really working with them now? Because the last time – "

Relena cut herself short. The last time she saw him was during her oath-taking as Foreign Minister, where she spied him in the crowd in plain clothes, watching her. As she continued speaking, she threw a questioning glance at Duo who was then requested to join her retinue. The former Deathscythe pilot followed the line of her gaze and nodded back at her, tapping the barely seen communicator in his ear, indicating that he was part of her security, too, albeit incognito.

She later learned that a threat to her life had pulled Heero out of the woodwork, but true to form, he disappeared right after her safety was ensured.

That was three years ago. She could remember only a few times she saw him before that.

"I do hope that one day you'll visit not just because somebody is trying to kill me, but because you actually want to see me," she chided as she watched him pull a chair to her bedside. Totally ignoring her comment, he took an apple from the fruit basket that sat nearby and started peeling it with his Preventer-issue combat knife.

"You should eat," he muttered. "You're looking wan."

She stared at him in disbelief. She didn't know if the situation was absurd or romantic – here she was in a hospital after surviving an assassination attempt that hurt someone she cared for, and Heero suddenly appears after years of absence, pushing to the surface feelings she had fought so hard to bury. Now here he was at her bedside, cutting up an apple with a knife from his boot as if nothing had happened and they've just seen each other yesterday.

Relena suddenly wanted to cry. Then she wanted to shove the apple to his face. But as she stared at the offered piece that sat on the tip of his knife, only a question escaped her lips:

"Will you stay this time?"

Her words came out sounding like a professional inquiry and she was glad that they did, because the last thing she felt at that moment was professional.

He looked at her with unreadable eyes and nudged the apple piece closer.

"Eat."

With a sigh, Relena took the fruit and nibbled on it. Yes, she should eat. She should eat and get better and get back at those who hurt Alex and who betrayed her and the colonies by stealing from the people's treasury. There was no time to think about anything else, even if he stayed close to her that night.

* * *

Relena knew that everything she had experienced in her twenty-four years was more than what most would go through in a lifetime. Many called her strong and some even called her emotionless, but neither was true. The reality was that during the war and everything else after, she was more often than not frightened: she was frightened when she lost her father, when they crowned her Queen of the World, when Heero said his farewell before facing her brother, when they all looked to her to rebuild their lives. It would probably surprise many that what always made her conquer her fears was more than just pride or courage – it was anger fuelled by injustice. And it was the same anger that she felt as she gazed at Alex Ahlström through the window of his room the following morning, watching as doctors and nurses worked on him.

"This is my fault," she whispered.

Heero's voice was deep and smooth behind her. "It isn't."

"I should have been more careful," she continued, feeling tears form in her eyes. "I knew I would be trampling on the toes of powerful people when I discovered the scandal, but I didn't take extra precaution. Now – "

She bit her lips. She wouldn't cry. Foreign Ministers don't cry.

"He was doing his job, and he did it well. Now it's time for you to do yours."

She turned to look at him. His gaze held her, quiet and honest, and she knew that he was right.

Roughly wiping her eyes with her palms, she swallowed back her sobs and stood to her full height.

"How many hours do we have before the press con?"

"Two."

"Good. I need to speak with Lady Une."

A Preventer agent met them outside the ICU, saying that the Director had called for a meeting. _Impeccable timing_, Relena thought as they rode the elevator that brought them up a few floors. She needed to focus what's to be done. Worrying about Alex solved nothing, and thinking about Heero was not helping any.

They alighted and walked through a quieter corridor that led to one of the doctors' lounges. An agent stood in attention by the door and saluted as they entered.

The cozy room was a mess. As it was made to be the temporary base of operations while Relena was in the hospital, there were laptops and Manila folders on every possible surface. She heard Heero snort as she saw Duo on one of the couches playing with his game console. Wufei seemed to be engrossed in several reports, while Lady Une motioned the new arrivals towards her as she spoke with someone over the video phone.

"Sit," she commanded. "I'll just put them on holo-display."

Heero passed behind Duo's couch, reached out, and pressed the off button on his console. Relena tried to stifle a giggle at the latter's loud protests, focusing instead on the 3D images of Milliardo and Noin as Une powered up the projector.

"You gave us a scare, Relena!" Noin's sister-like tone was something she had missed. "Your brother and I took the first shuttle available to leave Mars when the report came."

"I'm sorry to have made you worry – "

"We'll be arriving in two days," Milliardo interrupted. She didn't miss the guarded look he gave Heero. "You need to be well protected."

"Let's deal with the pleasantries later. We all need to be on the same page right now." Une stood up and started pacing. "Chang, were your sweepers able to locate those behind yesterday's shooting?"

The Chinese man shook his head. "Whoever did this was good. They made a clean getaway."

"So we can't link the incident to those behind the funding scam."

"Not yet, but we have something that could probably help." He produced a thumb drive. "We found this in the area where one of the shooters was positioned. The data needs to be decrypted, though." He turned to Duo and tossed it to him. "That's your job."

Duo caught it, his earlier frustration towards Heero forgotten. "How tight is it?"

"Pretty tight," nodded Wufei. "It may take you a week or so."

The brown-haired man snorted. "I can probably decrypt this with my toes while sleeping."

"Get on it right after this meeting, Maxwell," Une sat down. "As for the embezzlement issue -"

"Yeah. That. It's been sort of confusing me, so let's start from the top," Duo said, avoiding Une's stern gaze at being interrupted. "Lena here found out that money that was supposed to go to development of hybrid crops in L2 isn't going to where they're supposed to go, right?"

Relena nodded. "I realized it during one of my visits. The Farmers' Union told me that they were still using seeds that have little yield and die easily, even after I've ordered more funds to be siphoned to agricultural research. Apparently, none of the budget reached them."

"If we're talking about money and farming, that would put L2 Finance Secretary Bloomberg, Agricultural Secretary Nielson, Undersecretary Ogata, and Representative Kraz in the spotlight."

"Yes."

Duo whistled. "Big people."

"With the exception of Bloomberg," Heero piped in. "I already did a background check on him. He's clean."

"So that leaves us with Ogata, Nielson, and Kraz."

Noin's voice cracked as the signal slightly wavered. "The shooting happened just when you've started keeping an eye on them. Someone probably took notice, panicked, and attempted to silence Relena."

"It'll take more than that to silence me."

"Hopefully not another agent."

Relena turned sharply towards Wufei and was about to retort when Heero spoke. "Back off, Wufei. Now's not the time."

The Chinese agent huffed in his seat. Relena glanced at her companion in silent gratitude, but his gaze was already on Une.

"If you children are done arguing, we could probably start putting eyes and ears in the L2," the Director sighed, rubbing at her temples. "We need Barton. Chang –"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Go with Po and pick up Barton. His troupe is in Geneva. Get him, brief him, and send him in right away. And give Yuy a few of your sweepers to assist with Relena's security. Preventer visibility may make these terrorists think twice about doing anything stupid."

"Understood," Wufei's voice was strained, but whatever dissension he had about handing some of his men to Heero for her protection, he didn't speak it.

"Zechs," Une continued. "Contact Quatre and explain the situation to him. His position may get us information about these officials. Yuy – "

"The Foreign Minister's security retinue has been dispatched on the helipad and at the Complex. Everything is secure."

"Good. Keep your eyes peeled and report any developments to me right away." She closed her folder with a snap and stood. "That's all for today. Now get to work."

* * *

Relena could already see press people milling about the garden of the ESUN Complex as the helicopter made its final approach. She also spied Wufei's sweepers in full Preventer field uniform. K-9 units moved around the perimeter, passing several members of her retinue who stood in strategic locations.

_This is too much for security,_ she thought, but then again, Heero was not one to make compromises when it came to her safety.

The man in question sat beside her, adjusting his aviation headset and speaking in low tones. The pilot acknowledged him with a thumbs-up sign, and she felt the aircraft slowly make its descent.

For the first time since last night, Relena allowed herself to appreciate the sight of him. Heero had always had a rough aura when they were young, but now it was replaced by a refined sort of lethal grace which revealed itself even in the most minimal movements. Where lesser men struggled to look good in a nondescript agency-provided black suit, he did it without effort; his quiet confidence more than made up for how oddly it fit in some places. In fact, he even looked better than most of the celebrities on the red carpet of some awards night show she saw on television a week ago, and the dark clothing only accentuated his deep blue eyes, which were now looking straight at her.

"Is anything wrong?" She heard his voice crackle into her headset. Ruffled, she shook her head and looked away, hoping that he didn't see the blush on her cheeks.

"Don't worry," he continued as they landed. "You'll be okay."

And all of a sudden, she was. The fact that he was with her now seemed to make things a little easier.

* * *

The reporters and journalists were all over her once she finished making her statement, questioning her about her injuries and who she thought was behind the shooting. As she had discussed with Lady Une before she took the podium, she gave no mention of the embezzlement scandal: the Director needed to keep it under wraps so the Preventers can move in secret as much as they wanted, while she needed to keep the people's trust on their relatively young government.

As she was about to leave, a voice called out her name. She didn't know why or how she heard it over the noise, but she did, and she turned towards it. A man about her age wearing glasses waved frantically at her, and when she met his gaze, he lifted a hand to his ear, mimicking a phone receiver. By this time Heero had followed her line of sight, and blatantly placed himself between her and the man.

It was then that it happened.

A single shot cracked through the air like lightning. Chaos ensued; some people scampered away, some fell to the ground, and there was screaming. Wufei's sweepers and her personal guards ran to where the shot came from, and it was only then that she realized that she was crouched low on the ground, her body held against Heero's and her face pressed against his shoulder. His pistol was in his hand, and vaguely, she heard him question her if she was okay. When she nodded, he pulled her up and pushed her towards the main building.

She couldn't say anything as they fled, not even when she saw the man who had called her name lying face-down on the ground.

* * *

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2: Labyrinth

**Author's Notes:**

More and more I realize that this is a tough story to write. I already have the summary of it in my head, but the little details that would bring it to it's conclusion are still a bit hazy. I'm trying to get at least one event to happen per chapter, so as not to be too boring, because really, political maneuvering is often full of boring and big-sounding words.

No worries, though. There will be a lot of action by the time this story ends. ^_^

Thanks to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited this fic. And please never get tired of reviewing! Your comments and suggestions would be very much appreciated. (Heaven knows I need all the help that I can get. 0_o)

**Disclaimer:**

Gundam Wing AC, Cheetos, and Starbucks do not belong to me.

* * *

Lunar Ember Presents

A Gundam Wing AC Fan Fiction

**Death and Taxes**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Labyrinth**

* * *

Duo slumped on a cafeteria chair with a cup of coffee in hand. It was his fourth cup, actually, what with him only getting an hour or so of shut-eye. Aside from the god-forsaken thumb drive that he had to deal with, the meeting that Une called immediately after the second shooting was stressful to say the least.  
_  
"Two shootings within a thirty-foot radius of the Foreign Minister in less than two days. Two days!" the Director exclaimed. "That it happened within the ESUN Complex is making us look like fools!"_

_Duo winced at the sound of her raised voice, but she had every right to be frustrated. The ESUN Complex was one of the most secure places in the world, and it had to be, as it housed not just the offices of top government officials, but also the Preventers head office. To have someone shot in its grounds put to question the agency's ability to protect its charges and to diffuse potential threats._

_"The sniper was positioned outside our perimeter," Duo ventured. "According to the sweepers' reports, at least."_

_"It doesn't change the fact that something got past us."_

_"But it does beg the question of who the real target was," Trowa said, his voice sounding hollow through the transmission as he, Wufei, and Sally joined the conference in transit from Geneva. "Relena didn't seem to be his mission this time, because if she was, he would have only one chance to take the shot, and he wouldn't have missed."_

_It was true. Whoever did it did not come for the Foreign Minister, and by the time the sweepers searched the office building across the Complex and found the gunman's window, he had long been gone._

_"Who is this – " Duo browsed the file of the man who was shot " – Rodrick Gunnar anyway? He's not even connected with L2 or ESUN officials."_

_"Do your job and find out, Maxwell. And the three of you," Une growled at the projector. "Get your asses here right away."_

_The Director was definitely in a bad mood. Duo scampered out her office, worried that she might suddenly go OZ Commander on all of them. But before he could even get in the elevator, he heard her call out from the end of the corridor:_

_"Maxwell! You had better have something for me from that thumb drive tomorrow."_

_And her door closed with a bang._

The bustle of the Preventers cafeteria was a relief after long, tedious hours of trying to break code after code on that infernal thumb drive. The system was annoyingly intricate, and every time he and his team peeled off one security layer, another always seemed to be just right under it.

"Why did I sign up for this job again?" He mused aloud, biting into a cookie he had bought earlier. "I should have just stayed in the Colonies with Hilde."

"It's a wonder that she hasn't kicked you out yet."

Duo raised his head to see Heero peering down on him. His eyes were mirthless, and he didn't know whether he was joking or not.

_Not that he knows how to joke around. _"Where's the little miss?"

"She wanted breakfast so I brought her here."

"Yeah, and Santos from HR is currently making the moves on her."

Heero slowly turned to where Relena stood in the cafeteria line. Leaning over her was a tall, dark-skinned pretty boy with a fresh grin on his face. The young Foreign Minister gave him an amused smile and tilted her head towards their direction. When the man saw Heero staring at him, his face fell, and he awkwardly left the queue.

"That death glare of yours works wonders."

"Not on her."

"Well, she's different. Hey, Lena!"

Relena came up to them with a plate of pancakes and a cup of cappuccino which she set on the table. She was about to pull out her chair when Heero did it for her before sitting down beside her.

Duo grinned. "You look cute together."

"And you look like you haven't bathed in days."

"Wow, Heero, you're in fine form today."

"What happened to you?" Relena asked, ignoring his previous comment. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?"

Duo sighed and let his head drop on the table. "We've been trying to crack that stupid security software."

"And?"

"We haven't so much as put a dent on it." He looked up and ran both his hands through his hair. "It's frustrating, and I want to go home and hit the sack!"

"Not just yet," Heero said, producing Relena's mobile phone from his breast pocket. "We need to know who recorded the voice mail she got and where it was recorded from."

Duo blinked, reached out for the device, and accessed her inbox.

"Miss Relena," the recording breathed. There was sound of traffic in the background. "I need – I need to speak with you. Somewhere pri-private. Where no one will know." There was a pause and more panting. "I heard them. _Heard them._ They took it and they don't care. They don't fucking care. That's why I need to see you. Later at the press conference. I need to – "

The line was suddenly cut. Duo bit the insides of his mouth. Whoever the caller was seemed to be running away from something or someone.

"Does Une know about this?"

"I'll tell her later. I only got to check my inbox this morning." Relena forked her pancakes. "I think that he could be the man who was waving at me yesterday."

"Rodrick Gunnar," Heero stated.

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes. The wound wasn't fatal. They operated on him yesterday."

"Good. I need to find out as much as I can about him, or Une's gonna devour me whole and puke me just to chew me out again." He looked desperately at Relena. "Why did you ever convince me to take this job?"

"Because you make a great Intelligence Head."

"Mr. Personality here would have been better at it than me."

"He wouldn't be. He's rarely around."

It was kind of awkward to watch Relena stare accusingly at Heero, especially since the latter remained unfazed. He could have been a gargoyle for all the emotion he showed as he stared back at her.

"Err, I'm just gonna be in my office," Duo said as he stood up, his cup of coffee in one hand and Relena's phone in another. "We'll trace the call for you. Feel free to drop by CID when you're done with your lovers' quarrel."

He quickly weaved through the breakfast crowd as Heero shot him a look that promised a world of pain.

* * *

The office of the Central Intelligence Division was a huge room housing the fastest systems for research and surveillance. The overhead lamps were often set to low, sharply contrasting the brightness of high definition monitors that were almost always on. There were rows upon rows of desks for the agency's team of young programmers, developers, and white-hat hackers, most of which were cluttered with documents, half-done motherboards, and loaded Nerf guns.

Duo walked in, downing the last of his coffee and throwing the cup in a nearby bin. Grabbing a bag of Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos from a make-shift snack corner, he sat on an empty swivel chair and rolled towards an agent with bags under his eyes.

"Hey, Kevin."

"Sir."

"Broken through anything yet?"

"I don't know, Sir, but look at this," he pointed at a line of code on his screen. "What does that say?"

Duo leaned closer and stuffed a handful of Cheetos into his mouth. "I think it says 'this is the twenty-third time I've fucked you in the ass today'."

"I thought so, too."

"Want some?"

The younger man sighed and got the snack bag from him. "Thanks."

Duo treated his team more like his friends than his subordinates. Members of the CID thought of themselves as a group of boys and girls who loved junk food, F1 races, and video games, but they were the sharpest minds on the Earth Sphere, and they have been known to trace the untraceable and crack the uncrackable.

Until that thumb drive, at least.

"Okay, let's take a break from this and do something else," Duo called out. "I need someone to identify the person who left this voice message on the Foreign Minister's inbox and where the dude called from. Plus I need another person tell me about this Rodrick Gunnar character."

Kevin raised his orange Cheetos fingers. "I'll do the tracing."

"Thanks, man. Yuri, wanna do the research?"

A Japanese girl shouted her assent from the other end of the room.

"Thanks, sweetheart!"

He loved his team. He had repeatedly thought that he couldn't get a weirder, more talented bunch than this. Working with them almost made the distance between him and Hilde bearable.

_Hilde_, he thought, conjuring her image in his mind. _That woman has the nicest pair of legs in all of the Colonies._

He might have fallen asleep because the next thing he remembered was Kevin poking him with a stylus.

"Sir, I managed to get what you wanted."

Duo rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Well?"

"The caller's voice matched that of Rodrick Gunnar's."

_So Lena had been right._ "And?"

"He was calling from Marion Avenue."

_Marion? Isn't that in the classy side of town?_ "Run me down buildings and other establishments in that area."

Kevin pulled up a virtual map and narrowed his search to a quarter of a mile from where Gunnar made his call. "There's Newport Trust Bank, a BlueDot Comm service center, a couple of Starbucks outlets, The Cove – "

"The Cove?" A light bulb suddenly turned on in his head. "The Cove is that posh restaurant where big people like to hang out, right?"

"Yes, Sir."

Duo folded his arms over his chest. "And who is almost always seen there?"

"Representative Kraz." Kevin's eyes grew wide. "Well I'll be damned."

"Sir?" Yuri called out as she jogged towards him with a tablet on one hand. "You're right. Gunnar isn't part of any L2 or ESUN government office. He's Kraz' former neighbor and a software developer. Moreover, he was named president of an L2 farming organization called 'Green Leaf' a few years ago."

"And what does 'Green Leaf' do?"

"That's what's weird, Sir." Yuri said, pulling up a file before handing the device to him. "It's supposed to do research on yield improvement. Part of the Foreign Minister's agrarian budget was delegated to it, but it doesn't exist in the Farmers' Union's roster of accredited organizations."

"So you're saying that the money was given to a non-existent group and now it's gone?"

"It would seem so, Sir."

Duo clucked his tongue in annoyance. This was big, probably bigger than what he had initially thought. With the peace they've built over the years remaining as fragile as it was after the Mariemaia incident, the last thing they needed was the Earth Sphere distrusting the Colonies once again.

"Une and Lena are gonna have a fit when they learn of this. People, make sure that the information doesn't leak out. If anybody in the media discovers this, we may just have another war in our hands."

* * *

Relena felt slightly awkward with how her desk was currently positioned. She was used to having her back to the windows as she knew that the glass was bullet-proof and well-tinted, but Heero had everything rearranged.

"Snipers have better weapons now," he had told her. "You shouldn't be sitting with windows behind you."

Now she sat before a solid concrete wall. The spot was close to the air conditioning vent, so she perpetually had to wear her blazer while she worked.

_Or at least try to work_, she wryly thought.

Things were happening too fast. She had yet to recover from the physical and emotional trauma of her botched assassination, and now she had to deal with another sniper attack. She stared at the papers of the now lost budget she had once approved, but she couldn't bring herself to focus.

_I must be tired._

"You must be tired."

He said it aloud the same time she said it in her head. She didn't even hear him come in. Heero gazed at her for a moment before walking towards the floor-to-ceiling panes.

"You said that it was dangerous to stand or sit by the windows."

"For you. Not for me."

It didn't surprise her that he seemed to be studying the buildings across the Complex and all the possible ways that a gunman could position himself in them.

She smiled. His thoroughness and tenacity was both sweet and comforting. Whatever it was that brought him back, and she was glad that he came to her when he did.

"Thank you," she heard herself say.

"For what?"

"For saving my life yet again. And for accepting Lady Une's offer of becoming my Head of Security."

"Une didn't offer me the job."

Relena paused, blinked, and furrowed her brows. "Then how did you get it?"

"I demanded it."

"What are you talking about?"

He walked towards her in a leisurely pace, his eyes sharply trained on her like a predator's. She met his gaze with a steady one of her own despite the fact that she pulse had begun to quicken.

"I demanded it," he repeated as he reached the opposite side of her desk. "When I heard of what happened to you and Ahlstrom, I immediately came here. I told Une that if she wouldn't give me the position, I would break the legs of every candidate she had. She's a very sensible woman, although she didn't appreciate me threatening her subordinates." He placed both his hands on the wooden surface and leaned towards her. "The old man was good and I appreciate his sacrifice, but that assassination attempt was too close for comfort. Only _I_ can effectively protect you. So you'll have to bear with me for a while, Relena. I do hope we won't have any problems regarding that."

A shiver ran up her spine. He was close enough for her to smell his after-shave. She didn't trust her voice to remain steady at his nearness, and so she shook her head while he held her gaze.

"Good."

The air was suddenly thick with tension, and she fought against the rising tides in her chest. _No, y__ou're not going to undo me this time, Zero-One._

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Relena slightly tilted her chin upward, challenging him. His lips twitched to smirk, and somehow, his eyes seemed darker than they really were.

Then the phone rang.

She held back her surprise. Still staring at him, she reached out and put the call on loudspeaker.

"Yes, Chris?"

"Ma'am, Director Une has called to tell you that Gunnar is awake."

"Thank you. I'll be out in a bit."

_Well that was a mood-breaker. _Finally relenting, Relena sighed and closed her eyes. _What am I doing? _There was so much to take care of, and having a staring contest with her Head of Security should not occupy her time.

Heero's expression softened as she looked back at him, and before she could say anything, he reached up and gently pushed back her bangs, lightly touching the bandage on her forehead.

"Does it hurt?"

"Ah... A little," she murmured, amazed by his sudden tenderness. "But it's manageable."

His expression turned thoughtful, and he brushed stray strands from her face almost absent-mindedly. Oddly, the tension she sensed earlier dissipated, and his actions felt both innocent and natural. Nervousness fell like a cloak off her shoulders and she welcomed his underrated affections with a slight tilt of her head.

"I'll protect you," he whispered, almost more of an affirmation to himself than for her to hear.

"You've said that before."

"And I have never broken my word."

"I never said that you did."

She gave him a smile which he returned with a small one of his own before pushing himself back up.

"We need to go. Une's waiting."

She nodded and stood from her seat. Now that Heero was here, she knew that there would be more moments such as this; moments that would always end with them in a standstill. She was done mourning about it a long time ago, but sometimes, a little bit of her past frustrations and hopes still surface. _Maybe one day_, she thought, _we'll have all the time in the world to figure us out._

However, today wouldn't be that day.

* * *

Rodrick Gunnar reminded Relana of a scarecrow – a man with a sharp face and a scrawny body. His hair was also the color of dried hay, and it was even more disheveled than Heero's mop of burnt auburn. She observed him as she stood behind the one-way mirror installed on one side of an interrogation-turned-recovery room, wondering how to go about questioning him.

"Gunnar corroborated Duo's research. He's the one who called you," Une said as he walked up to her.

"I thought as much."

"He wouldn't talk to anybody else but you, so I'll need to send you in."

"I'm coming with her," Heero said.

"No, you're not." Une raised an eyebrow. "Especially with that on."

Without his jacket, the shoulder holster he wore over his white dress shirt was all too blatant.

"What, do you want me to take it off?"

"On or off you look intimidating all the same. Relena's going in on her own. We need to get his trust to find out what he knows. Besides," the Director waved her hand dismissively. "He's injured. I don't think he'll be able to try anything stupid."

The man grunted in disapproval, but said nothing else.

Relena entered the room timidly, almost soundlessly, that it took a moment of her standing by Gunnar's bedside before he took notice of her.

"Ms. Relena!" The man exclaimed, trying to push himself up. "I've been wanting to talk – "

"No need to sit up. It's okay," she said, flashing him a gentle smile that she knew would calm him down. "You're safe. You're in the headquarters of the Preventers. No one can harm you here."

His eyes flitted to the one-way mirror. "They can see us, can't they?"

"They can. They can hear us, too. But these are people I trust with my life," she placed his hand on his. "So you should, too."

A light blush colored the man's cheeks; the same tinge as that tinted the bandages covering a gunshot would above his heart. She felt sorry for him, this poor witness who got caught in the crossfire, and so she tried her best to be pleasant in spite of her wariness.

"What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"The money," he whispered hoarsely. "They took it all."

"Who?"

"Kraz," he swallowed a lump in his throat, his eyes moving about madly as he suddenly fell into the Sanq Kingdom's mother tongue. "I don't know where it came from, but I know that used my name to get to it. He even forged my signature, that _skraldag._"

She ignored the profanity and replied in the same language. "This is about the fake organization called 'Green Leaf'."

"Yes. When I found him out, he said that if I would keep quiet, he would share his profits with me."

"What did he do with the money?"

"I don't really know, but he's funding some sort of research. It isn't about farming though."

"What's it about then?"

The man paused, looking back at the reflective panel.

"Are you sure that it's okay for them to hear us?"

"Of course."

"Kraz is building something. I think it's a program." He started gesturing. "I don't know what it does. They wanted me to join them officially after I found out that they used my name for Green Leaf. Kraz told me that my skills would be of great help. I told him whatever it was, it couldn't be legal if he needed to steal government funding. He said that everybody does something illegal once in a while. I ran away before they could even explain what the software was. I didn't want to get involved in something like that."

Relena gave him another smile. "Those are heavy accusations, Sir."

"They're true! Believe me, _Banphrionsa_!"  
_  
_Relena searched his eyes. She still could not decide whether he was telling the truth or not, but she knew that he was too important to let go for the time being. Une would no doubt agree with her to keep him in HQ until the case was over.

She sat down at the edge of his bed. She needed him to believe in her.

"Don't worry," she said, leaning over and gently cupping his cheek. "We'll get to the bottom of this. For now, you'll stay here and heal. I'll come to you again soon. Would you like that?"

Gunnar nodded, blushing furiously.

"Good. Now, rest."

Une was grinning from ear to ear when she came back to their side of the one-way mirror.

"You really do know how to work that charm of yours, Foreign Minister. He's putty in your hands," she said. "Although someone here seems to find the physical contact improper. Am I right, Agent Yuy?"

Heero had his arms folded over his chest. "It is up to the Foreign Minister to decide whether something is improper or not. What matters is that we have Gunnar's statement."

_He's tense_, she thought. "You don't seem to believe him."

"Do you?"

"I don't know, but I'll give him a chance."

"We'll keep him here for now and milk him for all he knows soon enough," Une said as she headed out. "I'll be briefing Barton, you kids finish up in there."

Relena sighed as the door closed, while Heero proceeded to put on the coat he had earlier hung on a nearby chair. "Gunnar probably thinks he can get your sympathies because you're both from the same country."

"That could be true."

"Then you must play it safe, _Banphrionsa_," he said. "You have a habit of trusting people too quickly."

The word for "princess" rolled smoothly off his tongue and it made her smile. "You should speak in Sanquessa more often," she said in the same language. "You have such impeccable accent, _minn Buolungar._"

She headed towards the door with a grin, noting the amusement in his eyes as she called him 'her Prince'. But before she could even reach the knob, Duo burst in and headed straight for Gunnar's adjacent room.

"Duo – "

"Give me a sec, Princess. You," he said, leaning over the injured man's bed. "You're a programmer, right?"

The man stared at him in fright. "I-I was – "

"You were also a hacker, weren't you?"

Gunnar turned pale as he voicelessly opened and closed his mouth.

"Duo," Relena called out as she marched into the room. "Stop it! You're scaring him."

He ignored her. "Don't worry, man, I ain't gonna hurt you. You were a hacker, weren't you, Rodrick?"

The man looked at her, asking for her permission to speak. Relenting, she sighed and nodded.

"Y-yes," he answered. "I used to be – "

"Then you could help us."

"Maxwell." It was Heero who spoke up this time, his tone a warning.

"He could help us!" Duo exclaimed, turning to look at the both of them. "Whoever put together that thumb drive system forgot to take out the handle of the dude whom he forked the program from – Silver1107_. _My team poked around a few hundred message boards and guess what we found?"

"What?"

The CID head opened his arms in mock flourish. "Silver1107 is actually Rodrick Gunnar."

* * *

To be continued.

* * *

**End Notes:**

"Banphrionsa" (pronounced as bon-phreen-sah with the stress at the first syllable) is actually "Princess" in Gaelic (Irish), while Buolungar is derived from an old Nordic word meaning "Prince". "Skraldag" is some sort of insult I just put together. I thought that the native tongue of the Sanq Kingdom would sound Old World-ish, so I based/borrowed some of the words from cultures that trigger that kind of feeling. I do hope it came out okay. -_-;


	3. Chapter 3: Chess Pieces

**Author's Notes:**

Here's the next installment. There's a lot of talking and a bit of OCness, but the former is pretty much needed for the set-up, so I hope you don't mind.

As usual, reviews are very welcome and highly valued.

More explanations at the end of the chapter.

EDIT: I almost forgot - I've referenced "Battlefield of Pacifists" here, and also put a great deal of "Blind Target" in. Oh, and I'm still not considering "Frozen Teardrop" canon. No. Not yet. I am still in denial.

**Disclaimer:** Gundam Wing is not mine.

* * *

Lunar Ember Presents

A Gundam Wing AC Fan Fiction

**Death and Taxes**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Chess Pieces**

* * *

Her room within the Preveters' safe house was fairly large and comfortable. Aside from a cozy sleeping area, it had a small bathroom, a kitchen with an awkwardly huge refrigerator, and even an entertainment nook with a flat-screen television and a brand new game console (which had probably been Duo's idea). Behind the creature comforts, however, were hidden storage cabinets to secure confidential materials should the place be compromised. It also had spaces for a year's supply of military rations, water, and even a few weapons and bullet-proof vests. It was a bunker through and through, but one that had down pillows and soft cotton bed sheets.

Relena relished the pillows and rubbed her legs against the covers as her eyes adjusted to the dark. One of the things she liked about her glamorized cell was that it didn't open directly to a corridor: for security reasons, it led to Heero's room. She could only leave either through his quarters or through the secret passageway behind her closet. Of course, she wouldn't access the latter without proper cause, so she was left with the first option.

She shifted in her sheets, suddenly aware of the fact that he was just a few steps away.

It seemed that he was still awake as light filtered through the gap under their shared door. She had always wondered what Heero did at night. Work, most probably. Or he would be tinkering with his guns. Sometimes, she wondered if he even slept.

As if her thoughts conjured him, the door opened soundlessly. He didn't seem to expect to find her awake.

"Anything the matter, Heero?"

"No. Just checking on you."

"I'm fine. Go sleep."

She was about to settle in when she saw him stall. He peeked back in, his face silhouetted by the lights from his room.

"I smell blood."

"What?"

Confused, Relena squinted as Heero flicked the lights on. Her covers were pulled away from her and before she could protest, she felt his hand on her injured arm.

"What happened to your bandages?"

It was only then that she noticed that her wrappings were marred with red, and blood had seeped a bit through the blanket that Heero now held. She almost blushed in embarrassment. "I took a shower and tried fixing them myself."

"You could have gone to the clinic, or at least gotten Sally to look at it."

"I didn't want to disturb anyone at this time of night."

"Foolishness," he said as he stood. "You'll end up infecting it."

He padded towards his room and returned with a first aid kit. Silently, Relena watched him as he worked on the wound. Heero still had his slacks on, but now he only wore an undershirt, revealing his lean, sinewy arms. _He could've destroyed me easily a long time ago if he wanted to_, she thought. It was almost a wonder that with all the strength she knew he possessed, his fingers could move so deftly and gently over her skin.

Breaking the silence, Heero nodded towards the stack of sheets on her night stand. "You've been going through the clippings again."

"Yes," she sighed. "I have to know if there's anything about the embezzlement."

"There's nothing about it on the papers."

"True, but the effects are already being felt. Some members of L2's Farmers' Union have been starting protests about where their promised budget is. Good thing they're not yet big enough to garner the headline." She winced at the slight pressure on her arm. "What they have on the front page is news on the latest shooting. There's also an editorial about the Preventers not being the efficient agency that as it once was, and another saying that the World Nation Treasury should cut its budget." She furrowed her brows. "What do they know anyway?"

"You can't really blame them," Heero said. "Although our primary objective was to protect you, someone was still shot within the perimeter. Though I would think that most believe that it was a botched hit, and that Gunnar was just collateral damage."

"Most do," she agreed. "But there are some who have started looking into who he is."

"He used to be very visible online. His accounts are automatically public information, but with Une's precaution, I doubt that they'll be able to dig deeper than we allow them to."

For a long moment, she only heard the soft hissing of bandages being pulled in place. When Heero spoke again, his voice was low, flat, and almost inaudible. "You do know that this is more complicated than the incident with the Perfect Peace People and the remaining factions of the White Fang."

His eyes remained on her arm, but his tone barely hid his concern. Not liking his sudden somberness, Relena leaned forward and softly jibed, "Nothing would be more complicated than the incident with the White Fang."

She smiled when she saw that her meaning wasn't lost on him.

Relena didn't know why she suddenly felt brazen. The clumsy kiss he gave her in the hanger of that doomed colony during White Fang's almost resurrection was never talked about. Both had taken it for what it was –_ a kiss is a kiss_ – and both had asked nothing more from it. She knew even back then that it would be juvenile to do so, and was comforted by the fact that Heero Yuy never did anything without reason.

However, it now seemed to be a great springboard for unsolicited humor.

"Relena." He said her name deliberately. "This isn't something you should be joking about."

"I wasn't joking about the scam. I was joking about the kiss."

"You shouldn't be joking about that either."

"Why not?"

"Because it's something serious."

He said it without awkwardness or embarrassment. Where the Heero Yuy of old would have dismissed the topic with angry denial, the man that he was now accepted things the way they were. Oddly, having him admit that the kiss meant something did not come as a surprise for Relena.

"You're a complicated man, Heero Yuy."

"On the contrary, I'm quite simple," he muttered as he secured the last of her bandages. "It's just black or white. Yes or no."

"So would you do it again?"

She blurted it out without thinking, and the look on his face told her that she had pushed it too far. His sudden mask of stoicism made her nervous, and she almost turned away from the sound of his reply.

"Maybe."

She blinked.

_Maybe? _"Maybe?!"Relena stood as he cleared her bed of dirty gauze and followed him back to his room. "You said it was only yes or no!"

"Yes."

"Then why 'maybe'?"

"Because."

"Ugh!" She rolled her eyes in frustration. He was toying with her. Who would have thought that Pilot Zero-One had a twisted sense of humor?

"Heero – "

"Better put a robe on."

She stopped in her tracks. She had totally forgotten that she was standing in his quarters in only a pink tank top and a pair of worn-out shorts. Heero noticed her discomfort and almost looked amused. "You have visitors."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Wait, what? Who would want to see me at this time of night?" Nevertheless, she did as she was told. When she crossed back to his side of the room, the door was already open, revealing one of his subordinates with a surprised expression on his face. It seemed that he was just about to buzz on the intercom when Heero had opened the door.

"S-Sir! I - "

"It's okay, boy," the woman behind him said. "We'll take it from here."

When the light revealed the two people who came in, Relena confusion melted in an honest smile of relief and happiness.

"Welcome back, Noin, Milliardo."

* * *

Thankfully, her little dining table could accommodate four people. Relena poured coffee for all of them and sat across Noin, looking up at Heero who stood leaning on the kitchen counter. He gave her a quick glance before returning his focus on her visitors, and the line of his jaw told her that he now meant business.

"I'll never get used to your short hair, Milliardo," she started, knowing well that the two men would start bickering if she didn't do so.

"Mars is too dry, and he keeps on getting red dust on his head," Noin smiled. "Do you know how much shampoo he consumes in – "

"I'm supposed to be dead," Milliardo cut his partner off with a glare. "If I want to at least have a semblance of anonymity, it helps to change the way I look, even just a little."

"It looks good," she said truthfully.

"Thank you."

"As amusing as it would be, we didn't come here to talk about his hair." Noin sipped her coffee. "Lady Une thinks that we would be more useful in the investigation than in the Mars terra-formation project for the time being." She looked at her with a gentle expression. "I personally didn't mind. I was quite worried about you."

"As was I," Milliardo nodded. "I know that this is such an ungodly hour for a visit, but I wanted to see how you were. I guess that it's good that you're still awake."

"Oh, it's no problem at all," she gestured dismissively. "Heero and I were just talking about the news clippings I've been reviewing." She wasn't exactly lying. "But you could've gotten a few hours of sleep before heading here. I know you're both tired."

"There wouldn't have been time. We'll be leaving for L2 at first light."

Relena tilted her head. "You'll be working with Trowa?"

"Yes."

"But won't they recognize you?"

"Do you think they would even think twice about the identity of a poor government employee?" Milliardo steepled his fingers as he settled back. "Even if they thought I looked like Milliardo Peacecraft or Zechs Marquis, they would question their own judgement and pass it off as irrelevant. People are such that they don't accept truths that are already in front of them."

"Plus he cut his hair," Noin grinned.

"You are all right, though?" Her brother continued, deliberately ignoring Noin. "If you'd rather that I be the one to stay with you – "

"I'm fine, Milliardo," she smiled reassuringly. "I'm healing quite well. Besides, Heero's always with me, keeping me safe."

The older Peacecraft glanced at the man silently watching them and muttered, "That's what I'm worried about."

Noin continued to explain that she would be joining the two as support. "Quatre will also be there. It's a good thing that the Winner Foundation is sponsoring the construction of a nature reserve, since it requires him to frequently meet with several agencies on a regular basis. I don't think anybody would suspect a multi-billionaire to be working with the Preventers."

Relena nodded. "You better keep each other safe." The four mobile suit pilots have been playing the game of politics and espionage longer than she, and although she didn't like the idea of throwing them into the lion's den, she knew that she shouldn't worry about anything.

* * *

Wufei tried to ignore the loud yawn that echoed in the Field Operations office. He liked going to work before everyone else just so he could get a headstart in peace and quiet, and it slightly dismayed him that he already had company so early in the day.

_Well, _he thought._ At least it's Sally_.

"G'morning, Wufei."

"Good morning."

"Looks like Duo hasn't been harassing you, huh."

He snorted. The CID Head had been sleeping in the Complex since his team began decrypting the thumb drive, and for some reason, he liked annoying Wufei with random jokes at six in the morning.

Sally placed a cup of coffee in front of him as she always did when she arrived for work. He nodded his thanks, sipping it black as he browsed through the sheets on his desk.

"What are you reading?"

"The ballistics reports the police crime lab sent us."

"Oh yeah. I browsed through my copies last night," she told him as she turned on her computer. "It seems that these assassins like Bor rifles."

"Why wouldn't they? They're efficient. Military grade."

"And we use them."

Wufei glanced at her. "And we use them."

Sally began to idly check her email. "So do you think that renegade Preventer agents are behind this?"

He thought for a moment, then replied. "No. They're professionals, I'll grant them that, but their handiwork isn't as clean as I initially thought it was," He placed his cup down. "These people are still a bit inexperienced for weapons of such caliber. However, it seems that they do have connections from within as well as the money to acquire Bors."

Bor sniper rifles have been known to hail from the former nation of Poland, with a manufacturer established long before the Colonies were. Such weapons were powerful and were not easily acquired due to the cost as well as the paperwork that came with them, leading to the conclusion that those who were behind the hits were not a rag-tag group of dissentients – they had monetary and political backing.

"It could really be Kraz, you know. Just like what Gunnar admitted." Sally sighed, leaning back on her chair. "But we need to prove that."

"In truth, Kraz has never struck me as someone who's corrupt."

"Oh? How so?"

Wufei furrowed his brows and placed the sheets back into a folder. "I've met him several times. He is very passionate about his work. He wants to change things, and has a strong sense of justice." Folding his arms over his chest, he suddenly felt frustrated. "I find it hard to believe that he can do something like this."

Sally gave him a sympathetic smile. "People change, Wufei. Some for the worst."

He never liked her tone when she spoke to him like he was still sixteen. "I do know a thing or two about human nature." He huffed and stood.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

Sally followed him out of the office. "You're going to get a bagel, and I'm coming with you."

Wufei scowled. He never liked how much she seemed to know him either.

The corridors were silent, still devoid of the day-shifters that normally filled them with chatter. His partner exchanged a few pleasantries with an old janitor they passed before falling into step with him.

"You're right about the hits," she said. "They're not too clean. How many shots were fired at Alex and Relena?"

"Nine."

"You've got nine shots and six misses from two gunmen. It's almost like they were just getting used to their toys."

"One clean shot would have done it. Two at the most," Wufei said as they boarded the lift. "You're really going with me to the cafeteria?"

The older woman shrugged. "Why not? I'm hungry. Besides, better me than Duo, right?" She grinned at him and pressed the button to one of the lower floors. The elevator began its descent. "The first gunman seemed pretty trigger happy. Six shots and only one got through."

"A lucky shot to Ahlström's knee."

"The second gunman seemed to be more in control."

_Two shots caught by Ahlström and one that grazed Darlian_. "The Foreign Minister was fortunate that they targeted Gunnar during the second incident. The shooter didn't kill him, but the hit was cleaner, more professional." The lift jolted to a stop and they walked out to the hallway. "It makes me ask why they allowed themselves mistakes. Bor rifles have low recoil force, so I don't think that they would have had any problems with that." He gave her a sidelong glance, waiting for her to agree with his opinion. Sally may be a medic, but there was none in the Field Operations Division who knew guns as well as she did.

"You're right, but the last time I tested a Bor, I found the bipod a little annoying," she said, tapping her chin in thought. "It sits too high. It makes it hard to shoot prone. And the second gunman seemed to be shooting prone."

_The second incident was to keep Gunnar quiet, but the first was to put Darlian down. Stupid as it may sound, maybe they were really just getting used to the rifles,_ Wufei thought. _But why risk a botched hit? And why take extra care to leave almost nothing behind and clumsily drop a thumb drive?_ He couldn't shake the feeling that he was overlooking something.

"Let's get something to eat," his partner said as they entered the cafeteria. "Our brains need breakfast."

The scent of warm bagels wafted to his nose. As the two settled at the end of the food queue, Wufei mumbled, "It doesn't seem like the idiot would be showing up."

"Hey, you two!"

Sally looked at him with an amused expression. "You were saying?"

"Lady, lady" Duo winked as he approached. "Looking gorgeous today!"

"So are you," Sally chuckled. "You seem quite perky for a guy who almost doesn't sleep."

"Of course I am! Always greet a new day with a smile." He placed an arm around Wufei's shoulders. "Yo, Wuffles -"

"Stop calling me that."

"Une approved my request to have Gunnar help out with the thumb drive, but only with one of your sweepers guarding him."

"What, you couldn't guard him yourself?"

"Hey, I'm a busy man..." Duo stepped in front of him and held him at arms length. "...But not too busy for a joke."

Wufei growled. "No."

"What's Bruce Lee's favorite drink?"

"No."

"It's 'WAAAATAAAAAAAAAAAAH!'"

"Oh god – "

Sally laughed as Wufei cut the line, snatched a bagel, and marched out the cafeteria.

* * *

"How was your trip?"

"It was pleasantly univentful."

"That's good."

Trowa, Zechs, and Noin had arrived at the L2 Space Port in two separate commercial flights after a little over a day of leaving Earth. Zechs went his own way with Noin, deliberately ignoring Rashid as the older man waited for Trowa to come out. They weren't supposed to be acquainted, after all.

Now him and Trowa sat facing each other as the limousine weaved through the traffic of L2's main thoroughfares. The latter, who was to act as a Winner Foundation scholar recommended for a job, wore a simple off-white dress shirt and a pair of brown slacks.

"Kraz wants to meet you right away," he smiled. "I think he wants to guage whether or not he can trust you."

"I see."

"He'll like you though. You rarely ask questions."

"Should I be asking him questions?"

"No," he said, meeting his green-eyed gaze. "But you will still need to get answers."

Quatre knew why Une had picked the circus performer as part of this mission. Trowa, who was used to wearing different faces and changing names, knew how to melt into the shadows. Although Heero had a similar ability, the helmsman of Wing Zero didn't have the vagueness and the insipidness that his comrade could call upon at will. Trowa could become more than a ghost – he could become nothing if he wanted to.

As the limousine turned to a street lined with government offices, Quatre took on a more familiar tone.

"Trowa, I know that you know what to do, but watch yourself around Kraz," he said as concern seeped into his features. "He seems to have changed somewhat. Even his wife is worried about him."

That seemed to catch is attention. "How so?"

"I don't know. Something just feels off about him." He lowered his voice. "He's different from who he was before."

Trowa nodded, looking out the window. "Maybe he's putting on a mask. Or taking off one."

The vehicle rounded into the driveway of the colony's House of Representatives, coming to a halt at the main entrance. Quatre put on his coat and adjusted his tie. "Well," he grimaced. "This is it."

Rashid gave him an encouraging nod as he opened their door. Quatre stepped out and waited for Trowa, but was surpised to see a different person alight after him.

This man didn't have the neutral expression that the former pilot usually wore. Awe and intrigue lined his features, very much like a greenhorn on his first day of work. He nervously straightened his creased sleeves before looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for instructions.

Quatre smiled. _You never cease to amaze me, my friend._

Feeling more confident about his role, he smartly buttoned his coat and led the way into the building.

The House of Representatives boasted of large, Romanesque pillars that supported the lobby's high ceilings. The receptionist looked up at the sound of their footfalls on the marbled tiles and greeted Quatre warmly, almost flirtingly.

"Use the third elevator to the right," she intoned. "The first two are closed for maintenance."

Arriving at the floor where the colony's representatives held office, the two walked through a long corridor that smelled of both old documents and new computers. They passed several darkly-tinted automatic glass doors that were ornately decorated with golden plaques etched with names, and when they finally reached their destination, Quatre pressed the intercom.

"This is Quatre Raberba-Winner. I have an appointment with Representative Kraz."

No sooner than the door opened was Quatre's extended hand clasped into a rough handshake.

"Glad to see you Quatre. Nice suit."

"Thank you, Representative," he said, giving the burly man his warmest smile. "No secretary to open your door for you anymore?"

"Maegan was asked to work for some huge conglomerate with offices on Earth," he said as he walked them into his receiving area. "She said the pay was good."

_The pay is always good in my company, _Quatre thought. Aloud he said, "As you requested, I'm here with a suitable replacement. I'd like you to meet Tarquin Hall, one of the recently-graduated scholars of our Foundation. Tarquin, this is Representative Marcus Kraz."

Trowa stepped forward with a smile and shook the Representative's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir. Mr. Winner has been telling me about everything you've done for L2."

"I hope they're all pleasant," Kraz chuckled. "Quatre is such a handsome liar."

"Oh, I've never lied to you, Sir!"

"So you say." The older man focused on Trowa, his flint-colored eyes a hard contrast against his seemingly jolly disposition. "You seem to be a reliable boy. Tell me, would you say that you're a curious sort of person?"

"I'm only curious when you tell me to be curious, Sir."

The older man slapped his belly and laughed.

"I am already liking you, Tarquin! Come," he said, leading them through another door and into his main office. "I'd like you to meet one of my associates. You'll be handling the paperwork of some of her supported projects once you start. Mr. Winner, you may have met her during one of our Christmas parties."

"Why yes, Marcus. He and I have met several times before, and in the most interesting of situations."

Quatre hid his surprise with a smile as familiar glacial eyes met his.

"Dorothy."

* * *

To be continued.

* * *

**End Notes:**

I don't really know what a safehouse looks like, and since my Google-Fu is weak, I more or less made up my own. But fear not, there are other things about in this chapter which seem insignificant but are actually based on research:

- Bor sniper rifles: They're real, and they're really from Poland. Of course, the one here is a new model, though I retained the issue about the bipod which I read in some reviews I managed to find.

- Travel time: I am no astrophysicist, so I don't know how long it actually takes to travel from Earth to space. However, I found that it currently takes about five to six days to travel from our little blue planet to Lagrange 2. Then I thought, "hey, this is AC". Since space travel seemed pretty common by then, I shortened Trowa, Noin, and Zech's trip to a day. Hooray for creative license!

- Government: I think that colonies are pretty huge and pretty populated, and that representatives are still needed to, well, represent districts and sectors. Of course, everyone is answerable to ESUN.

See you next chapter!


End file.
